American technology giant, Microsoft, is offering support for the Digital Transformation pillar of Nigeria’s Economic Sustainability Plan, ESP.
This will be a continuation of the technology company’s investment in Nigeria after the establishment of an African Technology Development Centre in 2020 in affirmation of the efforts of the Buhari administration in the creation of a viable technology ecosystem in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, said at a virtual meeting with Microsoft Corporation team, led by its President, Mr Brad Smith, that the company’s interest in supporting the efforts of the Federal Government is a welcome development.
He said this could be leveraged to address issues affecting the youths especially in engaging them productively.
Microsoft joins global technology giants, including Google Inc., HUAWEI, and top social networking company, Facebook, in partnering with the Federal Government for the benefit of the Nigerian people, especially young people.
Google Inc. announced plans to establish its first Google Launch-pad Space outside the United States in Lagos in July 2020, while Facebook, in September of the same year made public its decision to open an office in Lagos as part of its planned expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa.
HUAWEI, on the other hand, last November promised the Vice President that the company will position Nigeria as a technology centre for the African continent.
Speaking on the need to constantly engage with the youths, the Vice President said that Nigeria’s case is peculiar given that the youths constitute a larger percentage of the country’s population hence the need for all stakeholders to pay more attention to that demography.
“It seems to me that there is just a wave of general anger around the world and people are generally impatient. Impatient with government, impatient with practically all of the formal structures there are.
“But I am open and happy to hear what views there might be on trying to engage and engage even more with young people (and in our case, that is 70% of our population, if not more).
“So, we are really talking not just about the youth population but the Nigerian populace because that is the majority.
“So, whatever it is that we are able to deploy to be more inclusive, to engage, even more, is really a solution for the entire populace as opposed to a solution for just a segment of our population especially given the fact that young people constitute 70% or even more.”
Osinbajo said that Nigeria was developing the technology space, pointing out that the country has a digital innovation initiative, which would lay a foundation for doing far more in the digital space than it is being done at moment.
He said: “just looking at agriculture, this is obviously something that we’ve spent quite a bit of time and resources on especially in the past few years”.
“We have also seen the development of a good number of agric-tech type companies and fin-techs that are also working in the agric sector.
“So, it’s a whole load of innovation around the agric tech space, especially in the past few years. So, I think we really are up for programmes that will support these sorts of agric-tech initiatives”.
Referring to the partnership with Microsoft, especially the establishment of the development centre, the Vice President said “I have always wondered how Microsoft can just be a much more effective partner with us as a country.
“Beginning with the African Development Centre which I think is excellent; I think it shows the commitment of Microsoft in developing the digital centre here in Nigeria.
“And it also shows the company’s confidence in the sort of talents that we have and the commitment of the government to ensuring that we develop that talent in the best possible ways that we can.”
Osinbajo assured investors in the Nigerian economy of government’s commitment to creating the right environment for businesses to thrive.
“We are all working to create the right environment for innovation and creativity.
“That remains an issue that we are dealing with on a daily basis, and I think that the challenges are the challenges of the sort that we are going to have to be dealing with (in my view) even in the coming years.”
On his part, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, said Nigeria has already put in place the necessary structures to partner with Microsoft and other tech companies in developing Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.
He said the National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy, the National Policy on E-governance, among others, have been adopted by the Buhari administration to support the growth of technology and innovation in the country.
Earlier in his remarks, Mr. Smith, said that his company’s vision for investment in Nigeria was one that would lead to the creation of Africa’s most viable technology ecosystem.
Smith said the company’s investment in Nigeria is a demonstration of its enthusiasm about the digital transformation ongoing in Nigeria under the Buhari administration.
He proposed a 90-day timeline for stakeholders on the government side and from Microsoft, to iron out details of the various areas of collaboration.
Spokesman to the Vice President, Laolu Akande, said in a release on Friday that Microsoft Corporation’s Country Manager for Nigeria and Ghana, Mr Akin Banuso, also participated in the virtual meeting.
Nnenna.O
